Shelving construction



No. 6l8,530. Patented lan. 3|, I899. W. H; & F. A. WINSLOW.

SHELVING CONSTRUCTION.

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P atente'd Jan. 31-, I899.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

NVILLIAM H. VVINSLO AND FRANCIS A. WINSLOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHELVING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,530, dated January 31, 1899.

Application filed November 26, 1897- Serial No. 659,765. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. WINSLOW and FRANCIS A. WmsLow, citizens of the United States of America,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shelving Construction, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in shelving construction adapted for use in libraries, stores, offices, &c., where it is desired to support great numbers of shelves for various purposes.

It consists, therefore, in certain novel features of construction adapted to produce a light, substantial, and rigid framework upon which shelves may be supported, a description of which will be found in the following specification and the essential features more definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith by means of nine figures, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of our construction in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, certain of the staying members being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail View of a clamp used in this construction, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical crosssection, the line of section being shown at 3 3 in Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section in line 4 4 of Fig. 6. Fig. 5is a central longitudinal section through the construction, certain parts being broken away to enable the view to be made as large as possible. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section in line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross-section in line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the brace-blocks, and Fig. 9 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow 9 in Fig. 8.

Looking at Figs. 1 and 2, the main portions of the construction will be seen to consist of uprights, longitudinal connecting members, transverse connecting members for staying the framework, and diagonal bracing members. The uprights in this construction are intended to support shelves, the latter being formed with suitable clamping means by which they may be secured to the uprights. As seen in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, these uprights will each, except the end ones, be seen to consist of clamp-bars a, suitably spaced apart and connected by a series of transversely-extending struts a, riveted or otherwise secured to the clamp-bars. A foot a is secured to the clamp-bars at the lower end, which may be screwed to the floor, and at the top of the clamp-bars is secured a cap a (See Figs. 4 and 6.) The outer uprights are each composed of a web a, upon the inner face of which are secured clamp-bars similar to the ones above described. Upon the outer face of the web a is secured an ornamental covering a, the object of which will appear later on. All of the uprights are connected by a number of tie-rods b, which pass through certain of the struts a and through the webs of the outer uprights, where they are pro vided with nuts for tightening up the framework. These nuts are hidden by the ornamental covering-plates a thereby making a finished appearance to the end uprights, which are the only ones exposed to view when the shelves are in place. Around these tierods are tubes 1), which space the uprights apart, these tubes extending between the struts and between the webs upon the outer uprights and the strut upon the upright next to it. The caps a at the tops of the uprights are also connected by a pair of tie-rods b, which extend between the finishing-cap a upon the outer uprights and through the intermediate ones. These tie-rods are also provided with nuts upon their ends for tightening up the same and are also fitted with tubes extending between the caps. It is obvious that when the nuts upon the various tie-rods are screwed up a comparatively rigid frame is formed; but in order to insure perfect stability of the same we provide swaybraces 0, extending diagonally, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, These sway-braces are preferably composed of tubes 0, provided upon their ends with blocks 0' 0 (see Figs. 8 and 9,) adapted to engage certain members of the framework. The blocks 0 are formed with concave surfaces 0 to enable them to embrace the tubes b of the longitudinal members B B and with shoulders c to engage the struts a. They are also provided with screw-threaded stems c threaded in the tubes 0, whereby the distance between the two blocks upon each tube may be increased or diminished. The blocks 0 engage the longitudinal member B and web a of the end uprights and are also provided with stems c, which, however, are not threaded, but swiveled loosely in the tubes, so that after the uprights and longitudinal members are put together the sway-braces may be inserted in the position shown in the drawings, the tubes being given a few turns, thereby tightening the sway-braces in place and at the same time stiffening the frame.

To guard against any lateral swinging of the construction,we provide stay-rods D, (see Figs. 2, 3, and 5,) one end of which maybe secured to the wall of the building and connected to the framework in any desired manner, here shown as a clamp D, having two sockets d, adapted to engage the under side of the longitudinal members B, and a hook d, embracing the stay-rod D. Set-screws d are-threaded in the hooks d and impinged upon the stay-rod, so that by tightening up the screws the framework may be rigidly clamped to the stay-rod.

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a series of supporting-uprights and a series of longitudinal bracing members consisting of tubes bearing against the uprights and tie-rods passing through the latter and through the tubes of a series of diagonal bracing members having crotched end pieces adapted to embrace the tubes, suitable bearing-faces to rest against the uprights and intermediate portions screwtwo sockets, cl, adapted to engage the under sides of the bracing members, B, the hook, 11', adapted to embrace the upper side of the transverse bracing member, D, and a setscrew adapted to crowd said members together; substantially as described.

3. In a shelf-supporting frame the combination of uprights having free oppositely-ex tending edges arranged in pairs transversely of the frame, a series of connecting devices uniting the members of each pair, said connecting devices being secured to the middle portions of the uprights and being spaced away from the inner edges of the latter, and longitudinal connecting members connecting the middle portions of said connecting devices; substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 18th day of November, A. D. 1897.

\VILLIAM H. VVINSLOW= FRANCIS A. WVINSLOIV.

Witnesses:

OHAs. O. SHERVEY, A. I. H. NELSON. 

